Obamacare Propaganda Sweeps Hollywood

Look out world, Hollywood has a new star on the horizon, one whose constitutionality has been approved and whose girth on paper is bulkier than your average Joe's. This superstar goes by many names — the PPACA, the Affordable Care Act, the fifth horse of the apocalypse to some Americans — but it's none other than everyone's favorite piece of legislation, Obamacare.

But who falls under this cadre of individuals assigned to spread the merits of Obamacare from sea to shining sea? A few weeks back the White House held a meeting with performers, writers, and musicians in order to discuss promoting Obamacare so that the program will be ready for the national 2014 healthcare coverage. These people included the hosts of popular media site Funny or Die, the Youtube Comedy Channel, and representatives of the social icon Oprah Winfrey, along with Parks and Recreation star Amy Poehler, former White House staffer and Harold and Kumar star Kal Penn, singers Bon Jovi and Jennifer Hudson, and even the Grammys.

As the days come to pass, Obamacare will gradually become a living, breathing piece of the media rearing its head from isolated statewide programs such as Cover Oregon to even nationally-recognized television such as Modern Family or Grey's Anatomy, with their television plots dealing with the real-world aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Will Ferrell's website Funny or Die is already prepping comedic web videos to help deliver Obamacare to younger citizens.

It seems to be an all-out offensive by Obamacare's P.R. agents: commercials with catchy, folk tunes stained with just the perfect hue of hipster to keep both our eyes and ears attracted, videos with just the right amount of satire, so that the meaning of it isn't lost, and of course, our favorite television sitcoms abruptly presenting the dangers of not having health insurance right in the middle of the season.

Over 19 million Americans under the age of 34 are uninsured. Out these, a minimum of 2.7 million young Americans are needed for the Affordable Care Act to work. As the older, generally less healthy, Americans rush to buy their health insurance, a demographic of invincible youth is needed to help leverage the costs. Therefore the propaganda aimed at youth seems necessary, even if the $95 fine for ignoring the mandate wasn't incentive enough.

All in all, about just how much will it cost to make this piece of legislation the star emblazoned on your morning cereal box?

Seems like a steep amount for a few commercials and and name-drops here and there. But if it's nationalized health-care, after a point it may just be too big to fail, and every little push here and there may just help add up to the final goal itself: A healthier America.

Neil is a rising sophomore at Rutgers University. He's currently studying genetics but has a fervent interest in anything related to health policy, international relations, or historical mysticism. If you want a spirited debate, or a good conversation, I'm all for it.